Brett Smiley: Fending off Cianci required sacrifice

On Friday, I made a decision that was very difficult for me, but that I knew was right for the city I love. I withdrew from the mayorís race and gave my full support to Jorge Elorza. Thereís been a lot...

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By
Brett Smiley
Posted Aug. 28, 2014 @ 12:01 am

On Friday, I made a decision that was very difficult for me, but that I knew was right for the city I love. I withdrew from the mayorís race and gave my full support to Jorge Elorza. Thereís been a lot of talk about why I made this choice, how it happened, and what it means for the future of Providence, and I want to take this opportunity to answer all those questions.

Jorge and I share a deep concern about what would happen to our city if Vincent Cianci, a twice-convicted felon, were back in City Hall. Last week, we sat down to discuss it. While the Democratic primary was still up for grabs, it was clear that if we continued on the same trajectory, there was a very real possibility that City Council President Michael Solomon would win the primary, thereby giving Cianci his best shot at victory in November. This was a risk that neither of us was willing to take, and with the launch of an ethics investigation into Mr. Solomon last week, the need for us to take immediate action became even more important.

Jorge and I sat down and had an honest discussion about what could be done. Weíve always expressed similar values and ideas, and Michael Solomonís best chance of winning was if Jorge and I both continued gaining support among those who shared the same vision for Providenceís future. A majority of people in our city donít want to return to the old way of doing business, but Jorge and I were dividing them.

So we discussed our options, and it became clear that I had to step aside and work with Jorge to make sure our city can keep moving forward. This is not a decision I came to lightly, but knowing there was something I could do to keep Providence from going backwards and not acting on it simply was not an option.

When youíre campaigning for office, you get to know your opponents almost as well as you know yourself. And as Iíve gotten to know Jorge Elorza over the past year, Iíve seen that heís a good and decent person whoís in this for the right reasons. He offers a creative, collaborative approach to fixing our public schools, growing our economy, keeping our streets safe, and restoring trust and faith in city government. And I know heíll be a mayor who will get it all done.

We all have a role to play in making sure our city can build on the progress thatís been made and never return to the dark days of our past. My role is to give my time and my energy to making sure Jorge Elorza is our next mayor. Your role is to seriously consider giving this candidate your vote on Sept. 9.

I encourage all my friends, all my supporters, and everyone still deciding who to vote for in this primary election to visit Jorgeís website (elorzaformayor.com), read his plans for our future, and give him your support. Together, we can look forward to a brighter, stronger future with Jorge Elorza as mayor of Providence.

Brett Smiley is a former candidate for mayor of Providence. He previously served as chair of the Providence Water Supply Board, and he is the founder and owner of CFO, an accounting and election compliance firm.